Visor for vehicle body



March 4, 1958 c. B. DOTY VISOR FOR VEHICLE BODY Original Filed April 10, 1952 IN V EN TOR. ['ZZ/fZ/d' J0 U ited Sta e,

This invention relates to a sun visor or glare shield'for the interior of an automobile body and in particular to such a visor adapted especially for use with a' convertible type vehicle body having a forwardly bowed or curved front header bar above a correspondingly curved wind shield. This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 281,556, filed April 10, 1952, now v abandoned.

' An object of the invention is to provide an improved glare shield and mounting therefor comprising a" generally rectangular blade or plate type visor adapted to extend transversely of the vehicle body at shading positions rearward of the windshield and being curved to conform sub stantially to the contour of the header bar and windshield, the visor being supported by a double pivotal construction comprising' 'a vertically swinging arm or visor'sup port pivotally connected at a confined end to the header bar and at a swinging end to the visor, whereby the visor may be swung bodily' to raised or lowered shading positions above or below the header bar respectively and held in such positions in generally parallel relationship to the header bar and windshield. The visor is maintained at the pivotal connections at-the ends of the swinging sup port.

By virtue of the improved construction the curved visor is enabled to nest closely to the curved header bar as well as to the curved windshield when the visor is disposed in either-its lowered or raised position. When the top is in unfolded or open position the visor can be raised so as to'nest closely to the folding top header within the curvature thereof and out of the way. When the top is folded or' closed and the vi sor is time raised position above the header bar, the visorsusefulness as a sun shield is extended to shade the driver or front seat passenger when the sun is at a high angle of elevation. At low angles of Other objects of this invention will appear in the fol lowing description and appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 illustrates a visor embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

and not of limitation.

Fig. 4 is a section taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the broken line 4--4 of Fig; 2'.

It is 'to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and 'ar -j rangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings', since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

Also is is to be understood that the phraseology or termi-, nology employed herein is for the purpose of description An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated,

by way of example, which is particularlyadapted for use, with a convertible type vehicle body having a forwardly.

bowed header .or header bar 20 above a correspondingly curved windshield. The header 20 is of usual hollow.

sheet metal construction covered at its rear wall with a.

suitable decorative trim 20a, Fig. 2, and is adapted to receiveand support an overlying top header of a conven-l;

- folded.

A visor blade 60 of generally rectangular shape is pro-i vided to extend transversely of the body inside and adjacent the windshield and is curved to conform to the corresponding curvature of the windshield and windshield v 5.; header 20. Preferably a pair of similar visors are emany adjusted position by frictional means embodied in ployed, one at each side of the vehicle. Since the arrange-- ment and mounting are the same for each visor, only the right hand visor 60 is shown. The visor may be of any suitable material, and may be opaque or translucent. A tinted transparent plastic visor which reduces glare without entirely obstructing vision maybe used.

QThevisor 60is .adjustably supported by a vertically swinging S-shaped arm or support 61 having approximately parallel oppositely directed end portions terminating in balls 62 and 63, The axis of extension of one end of the sun, the visor isadvantageously employed in thelowered position. As a result, a sun shield of materially improved efliciency is provided which is useful throughout a large range of angular positions of the sun.

Another object of the invention is to provide a glare shield and mounting therefor of the foregoing character wherein the swinging arm or visor support is pivotally connected to the header bar and visor for swinging about generally parallel axes extending generally horizontally and longitudinally of the vehicle body, so that the visor is maintained closely to the windshield and header bar upon being swung to the raised and lowered positions.

Still other objects are to provide an improved sturdy mounting for the visor wherein the latter is adequately supported between front and rear clamping or bracket members adjacent its front and rear sides, the front bracket member being cooperable with the swinging end of the visor support and secured thereto for pivotal movement whereby angular adjustment of the visor and its nesting relationship within the curvature of the header bar is permitted.

the arm 61 extends generally forward toward rearwardly offset flattened portion 64 of the rear wall of the header 20 and through the center of the ball 62, Figs. 3 and 4, whichispivotally seated in. a spherical depression or soc et :6 in. e Offset Por ion. nd is m n n, the seated position by a pair of mating ball retainers 66 and 67. The latter engage the ball 62 at opposite sides thereof, Fig. 4, and are secured together by a pair of screws 68. The retainers 66 and 67 are also provided with confronting spherical socket portions cooperable to enclose zonal portions of the ball 62 both forward and rearward of its center, Fig. 2, so that the connected retainers 66 and 67 are rotatably confined on the ball 62. The forward faces of the retainers 66 and 67 are slightly spaced from the header portion 64 and are drawn toward the latter by a pair of screws 69, which are secured by nuts adjacent the forward side of the header portion 64, Fig. 3.

The axis of extension of the other end of the support 61 passes centrally through the ball 63, which is seated in a forwardly opening spherical socket 70 of a support or clamping member 71. The latter confronts the forward face of the visor 60 centrally and is opposed by a rear clamping plate 72 confronting the rear face of the visor 60. A pair of screws or rivets 73 extending through the visor connect the members 71 and 72 and hold the te ted. M 4 1?.

same snugly against the opposed sides of the visor 60 in a clamping action.

Serving similarly to the retainers 66 and 67, a pair of ball retainers 74 and 75 engage the ball 63.:at. opposite sides and are secured together byapair-of screws..76. The retainers 74 and 75. are provided with. confronting; spherical socket portions cooperable; tonenclose. zonal portions of the ball 63 both forward and rearward. of its center, Fig. 2, so that the connected retainers 74-and. 75 are rotatably confined on the ball 63. The rearwardfaces of theretainers 74 and 75 confrontingtheclamp 71 are slightly spaced therefrom and are drawn toward.

able as a, sun shade. either below or above the. header bar, but is swung, between the lowered andraised posi tions about the generally horizontal and forwardly extending axis of the pivotally confined end of the support 61, as indicated by the. dotted circular path of movement Similarly the visor 60. is rotatable about av in Fig. 1. parallel axis at the swinging end ofthearm 61, so that the nesting relationship between the curved visor 60 and header bar or windshield is maintained at any adjusted.

position, including positions intermediate the lowered and raised positions. Also by the illustrated structure limited lateraladjustment of the visor position is afforded as thevisor'is swungvertically'. In addition, the'ball and socket articulations permit limited universal adjustment at both ends of the arm 61, so that swinging of the visor is not confined to a'single vertical plane. A visor of unusual adjustability and adaptability to various positions of the sun is thus provided;

I claim:

1. Inan interior sun shield for one side of a convertibletype vehicle body having a forwardly bowed front header, a visor adapted to extend'transversely of the body and being curved to conform substantially to the curvature of said header; a'generally S-shaped'visor support having generally parallel oppositely directed end portions terminating in enlarged ball portions, a rearwardly-opening-socket in therear wall of said header, one-of said'end portions extending; generally forward and having its'iball' portion seated in said socket portion,1a' pair-of separableball retaining members spaced; from said header-and having confronting-socket portions-cooperableto engage said one ball portioninseatedrelation in opposition to said rearwardly opening socket portion, screw means securing said retaining members together, screw means for drawing said retaining members toward the header forv frictionally binding the seated ball portion, forward and rearward clamping members disposed adjacent the front and rear faces respectively of the visor with the latter clamped therebetween, connecting means extending through the visor and engaging said clamping members to draw the same tightly toward each other, a forwardly opening socket portion. in the. forward clamping member and having the ball portion of the other end portion seated therein,. axsecondpair. of vseparablesball retaining members spaced from theforward clamping member and having confronting socket portions cooperable to engage said last named ball portioninseatedrelation. in oppositionto said forwardly opening socket portion, screw means. securing the second retaining members together, andscrew means for drawing said second retaining members toward said forward clamping member for frictionally binding the seated ball portion.

2. Inan interior SUD; shield for one side of a convertible type vehicle bodyhaving a forwardly bowedfront header, a visor adapted to extend transversely of the body at a shading position. rearward of the windshield and being curved .to conform. substantially to the curvature of the latter, avertically swinging visor support having a generally forward extension at one end terminating in a ball portion, a rearwardly opening socket portion in the rear wall of said header bar and-having said ball portion seated therein,,a pair'of separable ball retainingmembers spaced from the header bar and having confronting socket' portions cooperable to engage said ball portion in seated relation in opposition to said rearwardly opening socketlportion, means. securing said retaining members together, screw means for drawingsaid retaining members toward the header bar for fr'ictionally binding the seated ball portion betweenthe opposed socket portions, the support being thereby pivotal generally about the longitudinal axis .of'said' extension from the shading position to a raised position, and means pivotally connecting the otherend of said. support to the visor.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 1,260,181 Garnero Mar. 19, 1918 1,39l,915 Starr etal. Sept. 27, 1921 1,469,102 Olcott' Sept. 25, 1923 1,518,956 Beitman Dec. 9, 1924 1,571,097 Redmani. Jan. 26,. 1926 1,780,400 Nelson: Nov. 4, 1930' 1,868,031. Sudbrink July 19,1932 23556950 'Walk'er. June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 603,680 Fiance Jan. 12; 1926 715,842 France Sept. 29, 1931 402,700 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1933 

